U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.. teamed up with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., on Thursday to offer a bill that would let federal employees work with the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) efforts.
Scott showcased his support for Hawley’s “National Urban Search and Rescue Parity Act,” which also has the backing of U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H.
“US&R task forces are heroes who deploy after disasters such as floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, or gas explosions,” Scott’s office noted. “There are 28 US&R task forces nationwide, including Missouri Task Force 1 which recently offered to help with flood recovery efforts in Missouri. The legislation introduced in the Senate...would cut through the red tape to allow all federal employees to participate in these task forces and help rebuild communities in need.”
Hawley weighed in on why he had introduced the bill.
"FEMA's decision to bar federal employees from participating in US&R task forces doesn't make any sense. We should be encouraging more people to help disaster victims, not less," said Hawley. “This legislation makes it clear that federal employees willing to volunteer in US&R disaster relief efforts should be allowed to do so.”
Scott pointed to his eight years in Tallahassee as one of the reasons he was championing the bill.
“During my time as governor of Florida, my state experienced a number of devastating hurricanes that required quick action on the local, state and federal levels,” said Scott. “Search and rescue teams are a critical component of disaster recovery, and I’m proud to co-sponsor the National Urban Search and Rescue Parity Act, which will give federal employees the ability to provide lifesaving help during times of crisis.”
The U.S. House passed its version of the bill from U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Mo., earlier this year.
